Understand

Dehradun is situated at an altitude of 2,200 ft in the Doon Valley between two of the most important rivers in India, the Ganga and Yamuna. It offers beautiful scenery and a moderate climate in summer, and so is an ideal place to relax and escape the heat of the plains below. The town also serves as a convenient base for visiting the area's many tourist sites.

Dehradun has experienced tremendous growth in recent years, and currently has a population of around 550,000. It is also famous for the Doon School, which is often referred to as the Eton of India.

To reach airport from the city is a bit inconvenient as it is 20 kms from town and there are no direct bus service to reach here. one can avail private taxi service available at airport (US$40), or hotels may provide their own arrangements.

By bus

Delux, Volvo, Semi-deluxe and ordinary Uttarakhand State buses depart every hour from ISBT, Kashmere Gate in New Delhi. There is also an overnight deluxe A/C service run by Uttarakhand Tourism. It is a six to seven hour journey from Delhi. However, the bus station is located about 5-6 km from the centre of the town. If you are coming from Delhi side the trains will generally be more convenient.

By car

Dehradun is in principle a 5 hour drive from Delhi, but unless you leave Delhi very early in the morning, you will encounter traffic that makes the trip significantly longer. The town is on NH 72A (Chhutmalpur to Dehradun). The road is two-laned, but not very wide. There may be many slow-moving vehicles at harvest times, and pilgrims walking on the road in late July and early August.

Get around

By bus

Dehradun has a city bus service run by private owners under STA. The destinations are written in Hindi above the windshield. Generally, however, the buses are crowded, so it is better to use other means of transport.

By auto rickshaw

Auto rickshaws are plentiful in the downtown area. They are not metered, but instead use a fixed rate system. However, as the rate is often not prominently displayed, it is advisable to have some idea of the cost to your destination before taking an auto rickshaw. Otherwise, you are very likely to be charged well over the odds.

By Shared (Fixed-Route) Autorickshaws

The cheapest way to get around town is via the ubiquitous blue three wheelers called Vikrams. These vehicles are often crammed, with capacity for 8 cramped passengers in the back. The Vikrams are numbered according to their routes through the city. Fare is 3-5 rupees.

1 - Rajpur Road: begins at Astley Road and travels North to the Rajpur-Mussoorie Road Fork.

2 - Sahastradhara/Raipur: begins at Survey Chowk, procedes eastward to Sahastradhara Crossing, before splitting towards the North (Sahastradhara Road) or East (Raipur Road) depending on the Autorickshaw.

8 - Kanwali/Kaonli Road: begins at Astley Hall, procedes South to Saharanpur Chowk, before going West on Kanwali/Kaonli Road towards Balliwala. The last stop on this route varies between Seemadwar/Indranagar, Anurag Nursery or Vasant Vihar Chowk.

On foot

The best way to explore the town is on foot, since it is surprisingly compact. Finding your way around is not that difficult as it may seem at first glance. Rajpur Road is the main avenue and Chakrata Road is also quite an important street. They both intersect at the Clock Tower Roundabout. Walking across town can take up to 30 minutes.

By car

You can easily visit Dehradun through Car. There are many car rental companies.

See

The Kalinga War Memorial, Sahastradhara Road. The only war memorial of its kind in the world which was erected by the British to honour their foe, the Gurkhas (or the Gorkhas).

The Gurkha Fort, Tapovan Forest Area.

The Museum, Forest Research Institute. Lavish environs and one of the largest institutes of its kind. Guided tours available. Open:9AM-1PM and 2:30PM-5:30PM. Admission free. Photographs are allowed, but no flash indoors.

Chetwoode Hall, The Indian Military Academy. A charming little museum housing collections of 20th century military artifacts.

Clock Tower, Rajpur Road (Rajpur and Gandhi Roads crossing). Built by the British, this remains the icon of the downtown area.(30.324341,78.041843)

Ram Rai Darbar, Jhanda Mohalla. Built by Guru Har Rai's son, it attracts many Sikh pilgrims from the nearby state of Punjab. Admission is free and non-Sikhs are welcome.

Tapkeshwar Temple, Garhi Cantt. An ancient temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, Tapkeshwar is situated on the banks of a rivulet.(30.3573637,78.0165053)

Sai Darbar Temple, Rajpur Road. This place of worship holds a high spiritual value, and is thus visited by tourists across the country.

The Char Siddhs, comprising a group of four temples around Dehradun : Lakshman Siddh (along the Dehradun-Rishikesh road 12 km from Dehradun), Kalu Siddh (near Baniyawala), Manak Siddh (near Shimla Bypass Road) and Madu Siddh (near Premnagar). Small temples in scenic and as yet unspoilt locales. It is commonly believed that visitng all four Siddhs in a single day will fulfill a devotee's wishes.

RIMC, Rashtriya Indian Military College one of the finest school in India for making the kids to gentleman cadets

Gate at RIMC

Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology Another place worth a visit is the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology. It is the best center on Himalayan geology in the country and has done some pioneering work in the field. A museum displaying the geological diversity of the sub-continent is the center of attraction here and a must see for all those visiting the institute.

Robber's Cave Also known as Guchchu Pani,situated at a distance of eight km from the city center.Robber's cave is a beautiful picnic spot. On display here is one of nature's strange phenomena; a stream of water goes underground here and reappears a few metres away. The cave is surrounded by hills and is a beautiful getaway for those looking for peace and quiet of the hills.

Sahastradhara. Around 14 km from Dehradun is the cold Sulphur water spring called Sahastradhara. The spring is believed to have exceptional medicinal value and the dripping caves and a bath in the Baldi River near the spring are said to rejuvenate the body and soul.(30.38544,78.12653)

Do

Dehradun is a base for trekking and adventure tourism, and many people just stay overnight in the city before heading into the Garhwal Hills.

Picnic - Pack a hamper of food and drinks and picnic at Sahastradhara, on the banks of the Baldi River. The mineral waters here are pure and clean. It is a 30 minute drive from the city of Dehradun. You can also rent a cycle from Hotel Madhuban. It takes a little over an hour to bike down.

After a hard day's sightseeing, drive down to the village of Dakpathar 45 km away. The sparkling waters of the Yamuna makes this the perfect spot to relax. The neat little GMVN Tourist Complex is located inside the village. It has a good restaurant and a small swimming pool.

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Buy

Basmati rice - the Dehradun area is famous all over India & the world for its fragrant Basmati rice, but you can probably buy bags of it at your local Indian store so don't bother buying any here.

Khukris - the traditonal knives that Dehradun is famous for. In fact the sword used in the film "Gladiator" was designed and made in Dehradun. Small shops in Dehradun stock them.

Brightly coloured, hand made woollen items made by tribal communities in the nearby Garhwal Hills.

Himalayan Weavers use natural dyes to produce hand-woven shawls, stoles, scarves and throws of wool, eri silk and pashmina. Their aim is popularize the use of environmentally friendly natural dyes and provide a market for craft products made in the Himalayan region. They have a showroom in Chowk Bazaar (Rajpur). They also have a showroom 8 km from Mussoorie on the Mussoorie-Dhanaulti Road. Rajpur: 01352733113, Mussoorie: 0135-2115282 and 9759009830. [20]

Paltan Bazaar - a good place to pick up the local variety of Basmati Rice, and hand made woollen garments made by local tribal communities.

The English book Depot, [21] 15, Rajpur Road - the best bookshop for miles, with an excellent stock of fiction, travel literature, magazines and newspapers.

Book World, 10-A Astley Hall (at Astley Hall), ☎0135-2655845. Another great bookshop where you can get practically any book you want.

Astley Hall, Rajpur Road - a complex full of interesting, and good value shops and restaurants.

Rajpur Road - the most popular shopping area.

Alaya Design Studio, 94, Old Rajpur, Near Shahenshahi Ashram, Dehradun (Located in Old Rajpur, accessible by going uphill from Dakpatti Rajpur market or from Old Mussorie Road, turn towards Shahenshahi Ashram), ☎0135 6537205, [3]. Mon-Sat; 10 am to 7 pm. A design led social enterprise, Alaya Design Studio works with Craft and Skill based artisan communities in the state of Uttarakhand. At their retail outlet based in 94, Old Rajpur, one can find contemporary designs of Crafts and Furniture in locally available materials such as Bamboo, Wood, Handcrafted Copper, Natural fibers etc.

Eat

Rajpur Road has an abundance of eateries from McDonalds to Nirula's to roadside buffets... the food is great. Try Tibetan dishes available opposite the Parade Ground, or get some cheap but delicious vegetarian thalies near the station.

Nirula's, [23] Astley Hall, Rajpur Road. This is one of the smaller branches of an all-India chain of fast food outlets. The menu is extensive, and includes pizzas, burgers, platters and rotis. For home delivery, call 2651202 or 2651203.

Lhasa, one of the best restaurants for authentic Tibetan fare located on Rajpur Road close to the Old Mussoorie Road diversion. This is several km out of town. Call them at 2733274 for bookings or to order a pick-up meal. No home deliveries.

The Orchard, 3-B, Dak Patti, Rajpur, Dehradun (close to the MDDA Rajpur Park near Jakhan), ☎9837733111. Restaurant with scenic views nestled on the side of the mountain overlooking verdant valleys. Decent food. Tibetan, Thai,Chinese, food is served here.Quite place with good ambiance and delicious food.(30.3894893,78.0947391)

Head Over Heels Bar, 97 Rajpur Road, [27]. A good range of drinks and snacks.

President Hotel and Bar The finest bar in the downtown. However some retired Army officers and serving officers like to Jam out in DSOI, (To try this out either you have to be an Army officer or his guest. :) )

Shipra Bar. This bar is the part of the Great Value hotel and is reasonably OK.

My Wife's Place. In Rajpur Road you can find this and well known for it's north indian food, especially a varaity of kebabs and mughlai dishes

Sleep

There are quite a few hotels in Dehradun, with the best options being located on Rajpur Road. The city does not have a five-star hotel yet. However, Mussoorie (34 km uphill) has quite a few top-end options.

Sharma Villa, Tunwala, Raipur Road ,Dehradun (about 10 kilometer from railway station via Dehradun-Haridwar highway), [6]. This is an elegant home stay. A family run bed and breakfast just outside Dehradun on Dehradun - Haridwar highway. On requsts , meals could be arranged. A peaceful, comfortable place to stay.

Mid range

Best Western Madhuban, 97, Rajpur Road. [28] Tel:+91 135 749-990, 749-995 - Note that the web page for the Best Western international chain does not list this hotel, so its claim to be a Best Western hotel is unverified. The LP guide has dropped this hotel from its listings.